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The Walking Dead Recap, ‘No Sanctuary’

When Season 4 of ‘The Walking Dead‘ ended, the group found themselves in quite the predicament. They quickly found out that Terminus wasn’t the sanctuary they had hoped it would be, and in the Season 5 premiere we learn that it wasn’t always a horrific place. More importantly, every got to kick ass and there were some tearjerking reunions.

As suspected, the folks at Terminus are cannibals, but there weren’t a lot of them around so how much meat could they possibly need? Rick and the gang prepare to fight while they’re in the train car, but get tear gassed, with Daryl, Glenn, Bob and Rick getting dragged off to a slaughterhouse. Right before Glenn is about to get hit and slit, Bob pleads with them to let them all go, and then their scrawny leader remembers that he saw Rick with a bag in the woods. He tells him about all the weapons they have and offers to show him where they are, but the warehouse is hit with a blast.

Back in the train car, everyone else is preparing for a fight, with Carl certain that his dad will be returning. Sasha is a bit more concerned about why they’re still risking their lives for Eugene, who has never told them what this special “cure” was that he holds the secret too. Basically, he worked with a team that was developing a biochemical weapon that could kill the walker disease. Everything he said was still kind of vague, and Abraham and Tara telling him that he didn’t have to tell him anything could mean that Doctor Mullet was lying. But hey, who knows.

Elsewhere, Carol and Tyreese are still headed towards Terminus, but get thrown off the path by a group of walkers. They come by one of Terminus’ residents at a small cabin, where they take him hostage. Carol goes off leaving Tyreese and this very annoying, gum-chewing guy alone. He tells Tyreese that him and Judith are probably going to die, and sizes up the relationship between him and Carol. When he gets free, he threatens to kill Judith and forces Tyreese outside with some walkers. Tyreese, up until this point, has been on that whole not killing people thing but he needed to let this guy have it. It was show done off screen, though I loved him busting through the door like The Hulk to knock the guy out.

Back at Terminus, Carol is blowing shit up, and later has an encounter with the creepy lady who greeted them at the entrance last season. She tells Carol that it was once a sanctuary, until it was taken over by rapists and murderers. They had to fight to get it back, and since then have chosen to be the butchers instead of the cattle. Carol shoots her in the leg and leaves her to some walkers, while the others make their way through a hoarde and make it back to the woods. There, Daryl spots Carol and he runs to embrace her. What really choked me up was Rick asking Carol if she was the one doing all the damage, ultimately freeing them. One of the lingering questions from last season was what would their reunion be like? Would she be angry with him for banishing her from the prison? Carol has grown so much, from being the abused wife, to the grieving mother, and now certified badass.

It was also heartwarming to see Tyreese and Sasha together again, and Rick holding baby Judith. Though he suggested they go back to Terminus to finish everyone off, Maggie figured they were all dead, or fleeing, and it was no use. Turns out they weren’t all dead, and the few survivors are being held captive in the train cars. They vow to each other to fight for Terminus, which sounded awfully familiar. But the big surprise of the episode was at the end when Morgan was shown out in the woods!

They really weren’t kidding when they said that this season was going to super gorey and violent. It’s already off to a really bloody start. I certainly wasn’t prepared for the throat slashing at the beginning. Really excited to see what else is in store for everyone this season. Tell us what you thought of the premiere!